Slipknot is a nine-piece musical group from Des Moines, Iowa. There is a debate concerning the group's musical genre, with fans generally classifying them as alternative metal and detractors generally classifying them as nu-metal. Aside from their real names, members of the band are also referred to by numbers 0 through 8.

Slipknot is currently one of the more popular musical groups of the contemporary music scene, with violent stage performances, and music which is perceived as extreme in comparison with other bands in the mainstream market. Their albums and home videos have achieved Platinum-sales status, with Grammy indications in the "Best Heavy Metal" and "Best Hard Rock" categories for songs from all three of their albums.

The band is also known for its peculiar image: the members wear matching uniform jumpsuitsUPC barcodes printed on the them) and each has a unique mask. They change masks after every studio album, although the masks rarely have any major changes in them. Several members have several masks for each time period.